Positioning rod structure for a reel

ABSTRACT

A positioning rod structure for a reel is disclosed. The reel is positioning upon pulling out of cord from the reel and will restore to its original position if the cord is pulled for a second time. When the cord is pulled for one round, a positioning of the cord is done, and the pulling of the cord provides multi control of the cord, accordingly, the pulling of cord is precisely controlled.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

(a) Technical Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a reel, and in particular, a reel which allows single positioning of cord or multiple positioning of cord.

(b) Description of the Prior Art

Conventional type of positioning a cord within a reel is the application of steel beads. As shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the reel A10 comprises a front cover A1, a spiral spring A2, a sliding seat A3, a transmission cord A4, a positioning steel bead A5 and a rear cover A6. In this conventional structure, the sliding seat A3 contains the spiral spring to restore the transmission cord A4 to its original position. The steel bead A5 slides within the sliding seat A3 so as to position the cord A4. The bottom section of the sliding seat A3 has a passage A3 1 so that the steel bead A5 could roll, engage and disengage within the passage A3 1.

The drawback of the conventional reel are as follows:

1. The constant engagement disengagement and high speed rolling of the steel bead causes wear to the passage. When a gap forms between the passage and the steel bead, the function for engagement is lost.

2. In view of the above, noise will occur when the gap is widen. The precision of engagement and disengagement is depending on the precision of the gap formed between the steel bead and the passage. Due to wear of the passage, precision control may not be possible.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a positioning rod structure for a reel which could mitigate the above-mentioned drawback.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a positioning rod structure of an unidirectional reel comprising a top cover, a spiral spring, a reeling disc having an upper and lower frame and a railing groove, a leading cord, a bottom cover and a positioning rod, characterized in that the leading cord winds around the lower and upper frame of the reeling disc and the leading cord is wound in a way that the cord has one side being loose and the other side being tight and the upper flame positions the leading cord for pulling and the lower flame positions the leading cord ready to rotate but the leading cord is positioned by the positioning rod, the positioning rod structure is arranged to be mounted at the external side of the lower Frame of the bottom cover to correspond to the railing grooves provided at the bottom section of the reeling disc and the positioning rod structure includes a positioning rod and a positioning plate, wherein the positioning plate covers the top portion of the positioning rod and is engaged using a peg, the center of the positioning plate is a pivot hole for pivotally mounting with the positioning rod, and the positioning plate has an exposed front end mounted with a sliding protruded section to correspond with the railing groove which rotates in accordance with the operation of the reel disc which engaging and disengaging alternately.

The advantages of the present invention are that

1. Wearing process is slow with respect to positioning rod structure, the positioning rod structure of the present invention has a better longevity.

2. Even wear is occurred, the engaging and disengaging function of the positioning rod structure shall never be lost, in addition, there is no noise problem with respect to the present structure.

3. Disengagement as found in the conventional steel bead type of positioning will not be happened as the positioning rod is swinging to engage and disengage.

4. The cost of operation is low as the engaging and disengaging do not need to be very precise.

5. The operation of the positioning rod structure is simple and convenient.

The foregoing object and summary provide only a brief introduction to the present invention. To fully appreciate these and other objects of the present invention as well as the invention itself, all of which will become apparent to those skilled in the art, the following detailed description of the invention and the claims should be read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings. Throughout the specification and drawings identical reference numerals refer to identical or similar parts.

Many other advantages and features of the present invention will become manifest to those versed in the art upon making reference to the detailed description and the accompanying sheets of drawings in which a preferred structural embodiment incorporating the principles of the present invention is shown by way of illustrative example.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view a positioning rod of an unidirectional reel in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the unidirectional reel of the present invention.

FIG. 3 is an exploded perspective view of the positioning rod, shown as component A in FIG. 2, in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a schematic view showing the relative positioning between the positioning rod and the railing groove of the present invention.

FIG. 5 is an exploded perspective view of a conventional reel.

FIG. 6 is a schematic view showing the bottom section structure of the sliding seat of the conventional reel employing steel bead for positioning.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

The following descriptions are of exemplary embodiments only, and are not intended to limit the scope, applicability or configuration of the invention in any way. Rather, the following description provides a convenient illustration for implementing exemplary embodiments of the invention. Various changes to the described embodiments may be made in the function and arrangement of the elements described without departing from the scope of the invention as set forth in the appended claims.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the positioning rod structure comprises a top cover 1, a spiral spring 2, a reeling disc 3, a leading cord 4, a bottom cover 5 and a positioning rod 6. The center end 21 of the spiral spring 2 is engagingly secured to an engaging slot 52 formed at the center shaft 51 at the interior of the bottom cover 5. The external end of the spiral spring 2 is engaging at the engaging slot 31 of the reeling disc 3. When the reeling disc 3 rotates clockwise or anti-clockwise, the spiral spring 5 at the interior of the reeling disc 3 is urged to become loose or tight and the tightness of the spiral spring 2 provides a power source for restoration of the reel.

Along the edge wall of the reeling disc 3, an engaging plate 32 is provided such that the leading cord 4 passes through the clipping opening 33 to the bottom frame of the reeling disc 3. That is, the reeling disc 3 is a turning point such that the leading cord 4 can be divided into two sections in accordance with the reeling disc 3 and the cord 4 surrounds the upper fame at the upper and lower frame position of the reeling disc 3. In accordance with the present invention, the upper frame is the pulling cord 4, and the lower frame position is the ready to rotate cord 4.

When the pulling cord 4 at the upper frame position and the ready to rotate cord 4 at the lower frame urge the cord 4, the reeling disc 3 will rotate unidirectionally, and the ready to rotate cord 4 will rotate at same direction but the cord 4 will become loose or right in accordance with the number and length of the cord 4 being pulled. If the cord 4 is restored to its original position, the ready to rotate cord 4 will similarly rotate counterclockwise and the cord 4 becomes tight to correspond to the number of rotation of the cord and the length of the cord. Thus, the ready to rotate cord 4 will not be fully affected by the pulling of the cord 4 and the end of the cord 41 and the end of the ready to rotate cord 42 are respectively connected to the connector of the terminals.

In accordance with the present invention, the reeling disc 3 is matching with a positioning structure mounted within the inner edge of the bottom cover 5 to form into an engaging and a disengaging mechanism. As shown in FIG. 3, the positioning rod structure 6 includes a positioning rod 61 and a positioning plate 62, wherein the positioning plate 62 covers the top section of the positioning rod 61 and the two lateral sides of the positioning plate 62 is engaged by a peg 60. The positioning plate 62 has a center pivot hole 621 for pivotally mounting of a positioning pivot shaft 611 such that the positioning shaft 61 forms a positioning plate 62 to position and to pivot the structure. Furthermore, the front end exposed from the rod body of the positioning plate 62 is a sliding protruded section 612 for correspondingly slide with the railing grooves 34 at the bottom section of the rotating disc 3.

As shown in FIG. 4, the bottom section of the reeling disc 3 has a railing grooves 34 and the positioning rod 41 engages or disengages alternately based on the railing grooves 35. Thus, when the cord 4 is pulled, the reeling plate 3 is rotated, and the positioning rod 61 corresponding to the railing groove 34, provides a swinging movement, and the swinging operation allows the pulling of the cord 4 and then the cord 4 is positioned, and another pulling of the cord 4 is allowed when the cord 4 is disengaged with the positioning rod 61.

In another occasion, which is known as gradually positioning mechanism, the cord 4 is pulled and positioned and before the cord 4 is fully retracted, the cord 4 is pulled again, the cord 4 is then engaged. Thus, the positioning rod structure provides one time positioning of cord 4 or multiple positioning of cord controls.

It will be understood that each of the elements described above, or two or more together may also find a useful application in other types of methods differing from the type described above.

While certain novel features of this invention have been shown and described and are pointed out in the annexed claim, it is not intended to be limited to the details above, since it will be understood that various omissions, modifications, substitutions and changes in the forms and details of the device illustrated and in its operation can be made by those skilled in the art without departing in any way from the spirit of the present invention. 

1. (canceled)
 2. A unidirectional reel comprising: a bottom cover provided with a center shaft having a notch; a top cover engaged with said bottom cover; a reeling disc having an upper section, a lower section, and a center hole, said reeling disc being fitted in said bottom cover with said center hole fitted over said center shaft, said upper section of said reeling disc being provided with a neck which is divided into four sections by four slots, said reeling disc having a bottom formed with a railing slot, said reeling disc having a clipping hole for passage of a cord to said lower section of said reeling disc, said reeling disc having an edge wall along which is provided an engaging plate for guiding said cord to a lower section of said reeling disc through said clipping opening; said cord having a first section and a second section, said first section of said cord being a pulling cord surrounding said upper section of said reeling disc, said second portion being a ready-to-rotate cord surrounding said lower section of said reeling disc; a spiral spring having a center end engagingly secured to said notch of said center shaft of said bottom cover, said spiral spring having an external end engaged with one of said slots of said reeling disc; a positioning structure including a positioning rod and a positioning plate, said positioning plate covering a top section of said positioning rod, said positioning rod having an end provided with a pivot and another end provided with a sliding protruded section, said sliding protruded section, said sliding protruded section being engaged with said railing slot of said reeling disc, two sides of said positioning plate being secured to an inner side of said bottom by two pegs, said positioning plate having a center pivot hole in which is pivotally mounted said pivot of said positioning rod. 